Join us for the first installment of FACETS In Focus, a discussion series centered around film culture and the communities shaping the future of it.
In Focus / Edition #001
Asian-American Film and its Media Representation
Available April 16–29
FREE /LIVE PANEL
$8 /VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
FREE /WATCHLIST
In Focus is a discussion series centered around film culture and the communities shaping the future of it.
Program Overview
In Focus: Asian-American Film and its Media Representation includes a live panel discussion exploring the dilemma of Asian-Americans who want to be adequately portrayed through film, virtual screenings of Jenny Shi’s Finding Yingying (2020) and Alvin Tsang’s Reunification (2015), and a watchlist that will add additional recommended films that will enhance your viewing experience about this vital topic.
The release of the rom-com Crazy Rich Asians directed by Jon M. Chu was a game-changer for Asian-American representation in film and has been described as a watershed moment in moving the needle on inclusion. However, other films such as The Farewell (directed by Lulu Wang), Minari (directed by Lee Isaac Chung) and Nomadland (directed by Chloé Zhao), have also broken into the mainstream and tell vastly different stories, some seemingly unconcerned with what we might consider Asian-American themes.
After years of receiving criticism for their lack of diversity, the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards have set multiple records for Asian representation in the directing and acting categories this year. Although this success is extraordinary and long overdue, this paradigm shift presents us with an opportunity to pose certain questions. What makes these movies Asian-American or what (ultimately) leads to what is it to be Asian-American? Has the industry finally begun to recognize the history of identity, contributions, and challenges experienced by Asian-Americans?
In the 21st century, audiences want something that is different, sincere, and genuine, as this unprecedented spotlight should reflect their actual experiences. Many people in the modern era obtain their cultural knowledge through the media in the form of the internet, movies, television shows, and stereotypes. The arts do not exist in a vacuum, and recent tragedies have exposed a charged political atmosphere leading to a disturbing rise in racial intolerance.
Join us for a special event focused on the recent emergence of Asian-American film, by the recognition of its success, both in popularity and awards that have been presented by critics as well as Hollywood, and the related media representation with a panel discussion, FACETS Virtual Cinema screenings, and a watchlist for enhanced viewing.
Live Panel
Wednesday, April 21 at 7:00 PM
Tickets are free, but any contribution is appreciated and will go towards supporting FACETS' mission.
Watch live or recorded event via FACETS on Eventive
Watch Now
Meet the Panel
This group of exceptional individuals will discuss this dilemma of Asian-Americans who want to be adequately portrayed through film. While this should lead to the better representation of Asian culture, the question is whether the industry has finally begun to recognize the history of identity, contributions, and challenges experienced by Asian Americans, particularly in Hollywood and the media, or will certain stereotypes persist despite this recent success.
Charles Coleman (Moderator)
Cinema Program Director, FACETS
Jenny Shi (Panelist)
Filmmaker, Kartemquin Films
Mia Park (Panelist)
Actor, Host of Chic-A-Go-Go!
Maryam Kashani (Panelist)
Professor, UIUC
Michael Phillips (Panelist)
Film Critic, Chicago Tribune
Virtual Screenings
Available April 16–29
$12 /General Admission
$8 /Members
Finding Yingying
Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old Chinese student and aspiring scientist, comes to the U.S. to study and within weeks of her arrival, she disappears from campus. The film closely follows the journey of Yingying's family as they search to unravel the mystery of her disappearance and seek justice for their daughter while navigating a strange, foreign country. Most of all, however, Finding Yingying is the story of who Yingying was—a talented young woman loved by her family and friends.
Jiayan "Jenny" Shi | U.S.A. | 2020 | 98 mins.
Watch Now
Finding Yingying
Reflecting for 17 years on his family's immigration legacy, filmmaker Alvin Tsang confronts the delicate images of a once intact family. In this award-winning film, Tsang focuses on his family's migration from Hong Kong to Los Angeles in the early 1980s—fraught with betrayal from his parents' divorce, economic strife and communication meltdown between family members.
Alvin Tsang | USA | 2015 | 85 mins.
Watch Now
GET REUNIFICATION ON DVD
Don't just watch the film once, buy Reunification on DVD to watch it again and again and again.
Buy Now
Watchlist
Available on April 21
Enhance your viewing of our panel discussion with 10 Asian-American films, spanning from independent comedies and dramas to Oscar nominated documentaries like Bing Liu's Minding the Gap (2018).
In Focus: Asian-American Film
To enhance your viewing of the In Focus live panel and virtual screenings, Charles Coleman has curated a watchlist of some of the most interesting and influential Asian-American films of the past few decades. While there has been a very recent emergence of Asian-American films in the popular consciousness, films by Asian-American directors have a long and rich history that deserves the utmost of praise. Below you will find ten vastly different, moving films that explore aspects of what it means to be Asian in America.
View Watchlist
